US6570526B1ExpiredUtility
Speedometer

Assignee: NOLLER TILMANNPriority: Aug 12, 1994Filed: Aug 11, 1995Granted: May 27, 2003
Est. expiryAug 12, 2014(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Tilmann Noller Stephan Jurende Arno Unkrig Robert Götz Horst Kaltschmidt Rupert Christl
G01S 7/06G01S 7/032G01S 13/60G01C 22/006
PatentIndex Score
Cited by
References
Claims
Abstract

A device for measuring the speed reached and the distance covered by a moving user or object has a Doppler radar sensor that may be secured to the moving user or object and is made of a microwave strip transmission line sensor (1) that generates measurement signals and supplies them to an evaluation unit (2) with a sender that transmits the evaluated data to a separate processing and display unit (8).
Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A unit for measuring speed and traveled distance of a moving user or object through the intermediary of a Doppler radar sensor, wherein said Doppler radar sensor is attached to the moving user or object and consists of a strip transmission line sensor operating in a microwave range ( 1 ), which produces and transmits measuring signals; an evaluation unit for receiving said transmitted signals from said strip transmission line sensor, said evaluation unit ( 2 ) comprising a transmitter for the transmission of evaluated data; and a processing and display unit ( 8 ) for receiving said evaluated data. 
     
     
       2. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing and display unit ( 8 ) comprises a separate transportable component. 
     
     
       3. A unit according to  claim 2 , wherein said separate processing and display unit ( 8 ) is fastened to the moving user with a wrist band. 
     
     
       4. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing and display unit is a separate and stationary component. 
     
     
       5. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said strip transmission line sensor ( 1 ) and evaluation unit ( 2 ) are located in a casing which is selectively attached to the moving user or object with an elastic belt, buckle, or a clip attached to the casing. 
     
     
       6. A unit according to  claim 5 , wherein said strip transmission line sensor ( 1 ) is located in the casing such that radiation emitted therefrom strikes the ground at an angle when the casing is attached to the user or object. 
     
     
       7. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said evaluation unit ( 2 ) comprises at least one preamplifier ( 3 ), and A/D converter ( 4 ), a microprocessor ( 5 ) with RAM and ROM memories, and a transmitter ( 6 ). 
     
     
       8. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said evaluation unit ( 2 ) includes a multiplexer ( 7 ). 
     
     
       9. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said processing and display unit ( 8 ) comprises a receiving unit ( 9 ), as a microprocessor ( 10 ) with RAM and ROM memories, and an evaluation unit ( 14 ). 
     
     
       10. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said strip transmission line sensor ( 10 ) possesses a transmitting frequency of 5.8 GHz. 
     
     
       11. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said strip transmission line sensor ( 1 ) and the evaluation unit ( 2 ) are combined with an acceleration sensor so as to turn off the strip transmission line sensor when the speed of the user or object remains constant. 
     
     
       12. A unit according to  claim 1 , wherein said strip transmission line sensor ( 1 ) and said evaluation unit ( 2 ) are combined with a pressure sensor so as to compensate of errors in measurement caused by changes in altitude. 
     
     
       13. A unit according to  claim 1 , comprising means for converting the analog measuring signals produced by the strip transmission line sensor into digital signals; 
       means for converting the analog measuring signals produced by the strip transmission line sensor into digital signals;  
       means for periodically scanning the digital signals;  
       means for transforming the periodically scanned signal portions into a respective frequency spectrum A (f);  
       means for determining a frequency barrier F of the respective current frequency spectrum A (f); and  
       means for calculating the current speed or traveled distance of the moving user or object from the frequency barrier F of the respective current frequency spectrum A(f).  
     
     
       14. A unit according to  claim 13 , wherein said means for transforming the signal portions into a respective frequency spectrum A (f) comprises means for multiplying the respective signal portions with a hamming window and means for a subsequent Fourier transformation of the multiplied signal portions. 
     
     
       15. A unit according to  claim 13  or  14 , wherein said means for determining the frequency barrier F of the respective current frequency spectrum A (f) comprises: 
       a) means for determining a threshold indicator S, whereby S&lt;A (f=0);  
       b) means of comparing the threshold indicator S, with a frequency spectrum A (f) from the frequency f=0 in the direction of increasing frequencies up to a predetermined barrier frequency f g ;  
       c) means for determining a first frequency value f 1  at A (f=f 1 )=S;  
       d 1 ) means for determining f 1  as the required frequency barrier F on the condition A (f)&lt;S for f 1 &lt;F≦f G ;  
       d 2 ) means for determining a second frequency value f 2  at A(f=f 2 )=S on the condition A(f) not smaller than S for f 1 &lt;f≦f G ;  
       e) means for comparing the threshold value shortage d=f 2 −f 1  with fixed values y and z, whereby y&lt;z;  
       f 1 ) means for ignoring f 1  and f 2 , and means for further comparing A (f) and S according to the steps c) et seq. up to the barrier frequency f G , on the condition d&lt;y;  
       f 2 ) means for ignoring the current frequency spectrum A (f) on the condition y&lt;d≦z; and  
       f 3 ) means for determining f 1  as the required frequency barrier F on the condition d&gt;z.  
     
     
       16. A unit according to  claim 15 , wherein there are provided means for a plausibility control of the speed values calculated from the respective current frequency spectrum A(f), comprising; 
       means for estimating the acceleration performance of the moving user or object by means of the equation:  
       
         
             P=m ( v   2   2   −v   2   1 )/2Δ t    
         
       
       where m is the mass of the moving user or object, v 1  is the speed of the moving user or object calculated from the respective preceding frequency spectrum A 1 (f), v 2  is speed of the moving user or object calculated from the current frequency spectrum A 2 (f), and Δt is the used up time between the scanning of both frequency spectrums; and  
       means for comparing the determined acceleration performance P with a fixed upper and lower acceleration border (P max  or P min ) including:  
       means for ignoring the speed value v 2  on the condition P&lt;P min  or P&gt;P max, , and means for determining v 2  as the current speed value on the condition P min &lt;P&lt;P max .  
     
     
       17. A process for determining the speed or traveled distance of a moving user or object from measurement signals produced by a strip transmission line sensor operating in a microwave range ( 1 ) which consists of a unit comprising a Doppler radar sensor, comprising the steps of: 
       converting the analog measurements signals produced by the strip transmission line sensor ( 1 ) into digital signals;  
       effecting periodic scanning of the digital signals;  
       transforming each of the periodically scanned signal portion into a frequency spectrum A(f);  
       determining a frequency barrier F of the respective current frequency spectrum A (f); and  
       calculating the current speed or traveled distance of the moving user or object from the frequency barrier F of the respective current frequency spectrum A(f).  
     
     
       18. A process according to  claim 17 , wherein the transformation of the signal portions into respective frequency spectrums A (f) is achieved by a multiplication of the respective signal portions with a hamming window and a subsequent Fourier transformation of the multiplied signal parts. 
     
     
       19. A process according to  claim 17  or  18 , wherein the determination of the frequency barrier F of the respective current frequency spectrum A(f) is achieved by the following steps: 
       a) determining a threshold indicator S, whereby S&lt;A(f=0)  
       b) comparing the threshold indicator S with the frequency spectrum A(f) from the frequency f=0 in the direction of increasing frequencies up to a predetermined frequency f G ,  
       c) determining a first frequency value f 1  at A (f=f 1 )=S,  
       d 1 ) when is A(f)&lt;S for f 1 &lt;f≦f G : determining f 1  as the required frequency barrier F, or alternatively  
       d 2 ) determining a second frequency value f 2  at A (f=f 2 )=S, whereby f 2 &gt;f 1 ,  
       e) comparing the threshold value shortage d=f 2 −f 1  with fixed values y and z, whereby y&lt;z:  
       f 1 ) if d&lt;y: ignore f 1  and f 2 , further comparison of A(f) and S according to the steps c) et seq. up to barrier frequency f G ,  
       f 2 ) if y&lt;d≦z: ignore the current frequency spectrum A(f),  
       f 3 ) if d&gt;z: determine f 1  as the required frequency barrier F.  
     
     
       20. A process according to  claim 19 , wherein the calculated speed value from the respective current frequency spectrum A(f) is subjected to a plausibility control with the following steps: 
       estimation of the acceleration performance of the moving user or object according to the equation:  
       
         
             P=m ( v   2   2   −v   1   2 )/2Δ t    
         
       
       where m is the mass of the moving user or object, v 1  is the speed of the moving user or object calculated from the respective preceding frequency spectrum A 1 (f), v 2  is the speed of the moving user or object calculated from the current frequency spectrum A 2 (f), and Δt is the time passed between the scanning of both frequency spectrums, and comparing the determined acceleration performance P with a fixed upper and a fixed lower acceleration barrier (P max  or P min ):  
       if P&lt;P min  or P&gt;P max : ignore the speed value v 2 ,  
       if P min  P&lt;P max : determine v 2  as the current speed value.
Cited by (0)

No later patents cite this yet.
References (0)

No backward citations on record.